1. Field
The subject matter disclosed herein relates to mobile electronic devices, and, more particularly, to methods, apparatuses, and articles of manufacture that may be used to select a location context identifier to assist with presenting indoor maps on a mobile electronic device.
2. Information
GPS and other like satellite positioning systems (SPSs) have enabled navigation services for mobile handsets in outdoor environments. However, since satellite signals may not be reliably received and/or acquired in an indoor environment, different techniques may be employed to enable indoor navigation services. For example, a mobile device may typically obtain a position fix by measuring ranges to three or more terrestrial wireless access points that may be positioned at known locations. Such ranges may be measured, for example, by obtaining a media access control identification (MAC ID) address from signals received from such access points and measuring one or more characteristics of signals received from such access points such as, for example, signal strength, round trip delay, just to name a few examples.
In some implementations, an indoor navigation system may provide a digital electronic map to a mobile device as the device enters an indoor area. Such a map may present indoor features such as doors, hallways, entryways, walls, etc. A digital electronic map of an indoor area may also show points of interest (POIs) such as restaurants, café s, stores, kiosks, restrooms, etc. Such a digital electronic map may be stored at a server to be accessible by a mobile device through selection of a universal resource locator (URL), for example. By obtaining and presenting such a map, a mobile device user may be apprised of his or her current location on a display device that provides the user with additional context.
However, there are occasions in which ascertaining an accurate position estimate of a mobile device within a multistoried indoor structure, such as a large airport or a shopping mall, for example, may be problematic. In such instances, characteristics of signals received from various access points located within the structure may not vary to a degree sufficient to enable a mobile device to accurately locate itself on a particular floor or inside a particular area. For example, in a large shopping mall, received signal strength, round trip delays, and other characteristics of signals received by a mobile device at or near a ground floor may be indistinguishable from signal characteristics received by mobile device at or near a second floor. In such instances, a location server, for example, may be unable to accurately estimate position of a mobile device based on signals received at the mobile device. Hence, ascertaining and providing the correct digital map, which may be used by a mobile device user to navigate to points of interest, such as on a particular floor of a shopping mall, may be especially difficult relative to other digital maps at adjacent areas or at other areas with similar signal characteristics.